N car-couplings



`away to show the interior.

HARDIN BALE, OF PETERSBURG, ILLINIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,429, dated October22, 1872.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, HARDIN BALE, of Petersburg, in the county of Menardand State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in RailroadGar Couplings and Bumper, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention consists in a novel manner of constructing a yieldingdraw-head and buffer, and in novel coupling devices, as hereinafterdescribed.

Figure l is a top-plan view of my improved draw-head and coupling,portions being broken Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of thesame on the line a: .r of Fig. l.

A A represent two rigid parallel bars secured to the bottom of the car,and B the drawhead or bar mounted between them and provided at its frontend with two sockets, a, which t over the front ends of the barsilfndinclose rubber blocks G, which are placed against said ends, as shown inFig. l. The draw-head and its sockets are cast in one solid piece, andthe springs applied by simply inserting them loosely into the sockets,so that when the head is placed in position they will bear against andbe held by the longitudinal bars or timbers on the car-body, as shown.This method of constructing the head and applying the springs isexceedingly cheap and simple, as it obviates the expense and labor ofproviding and applying separate sockets or beds for the springs and ofsecuring the springs thereto. D is a rubber block placed between theback end of the draw-head B and a cross-bar, c, which is secured betweenthe bars A for the purpose. E E are rubber blocks placed against theback ends of the bars A, and F is a metal head or plate provided withsockets fitting over the rear ends of bars A, and inclosing the rubberthereon. G is a bolt or rod connecting the head or plate F with the backend of the drawhead B, and H a spiral spring mounted on the bolt Gbetween the head or plate F and th cross-bar c.

Whenthe cars are broughttogether the front end of the draw-head A formsa bu'er to receive the concussion, which is taken up by the rubberblocks C D, which yield so as to let the draw-head move back. When thecars are coupled, and the draw-head pulled forward, the strain isconveyed through the rod G to the plate F and received upon the rubberblocks E and the spiral spring H, which permit the head to give forward,so as to relieve the coupling-pin and other parts from violent strainwhen the cars are started suddenly.

Thus it will be seen that by my method of constructing the draw-head andapplying the springs it is allowed to yield when pulled forward, andalso to give back when the cars are brought together, so as to form aspring-buffer.

J is the coupling-pin, which I mount in the front end of the draw-headin a horizontal instead of the usual vertical position. K is atransverse bar secured rigidly to the under side of the draw-head andextending out in line with the sides of the car. L is a rod or shaftmounted on the bar K in such manner that it can both rotate and slidelengthwise, and provided at its ends with handles e. M is an arm orbracket mounted on the rod L and connected to the coupling-pin J, thearrangement being such that when the rod is moved v lengthwise itcarries the arm and coupling-pin with it, while at the same time the rodis free to turn independently of the arm. The rod is provided with astud or pin, g, and the bar K with two notches, h, for the pin to lockinto, so as to hold the rod from moving endwise, and thereby hold thecoupling-pin in or out, as may be required. When the coupling-pin isdrawn out, as in Fig. l, and it is desired to shove it in', the operatortakes hold of either of the handles e, and turns it so as to rotate therod and unlock the pin g, and then movesv the rod endwise so as to carrythe couplingpin home, and then turns the handle again so as to lock thepin g into the recess and prevent the coupling-pin from being jolted oraccidentally pushed back. The handles are made quite heavy to serve asweights to hold the rod and prevent the pin g from jumping out of itsseat. My coupling-pin, being arranged horizontally, cannot, of course,be locked through the ordinary coupling-links arranged to receive theusual vertical pins. In order, therefore, to enable a car provided withmy coupling to be coupled to those having the ordinary coupling, Iprovide a coupling-link,

PAfrEN'r QFFIGE.'

O, as shown in Fig. 1, having in one end a horizontal eye to receive myhorizontal pin, and in the opposite end a vertical eye to receive theordinary upright pin. This link I suspend to the draw-head B by a chain,as shown, so that it is always present for use. In the front end of thedraw-head a coupling-link, P, is mounted on a horizontal pivot, so thatits front end can swing up and down. A transverse eye or opening is madethrough the end of the link to receive a horizontal couplingpin, itbeing intended to use this link only in connection with cars having ahorizontal pin, as in my plan, and not with those having the commoncoupling. The end of the link l? is extended back of the pivot andprovided with a chain, R, which is carried down through the bottom ofthe draw head and attached to a rod, S, which is mounted on the bar K,as shown. The ends of the rod S are extended out to the sides of the carand provided with Vhand-wheels, by which it may be turned so as to windup the chain and raise the end of the link P to the required height toreceive the coupling-pin of the other car. The height of By arranging mycoupling pin and link as described, and extending the rods for operatingthem out to the sides of the car, I enable the operator to manipulatethem quickly and easily, and prevent the necessity of his enteringbetween the cars, and thus avoid all dan ger of accidents to himthereoin.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The draw-head Bprovided with the sockets a, in combination with the springs C, whenarranged substantially as described.

2. The rotating and sliding rod L provided with the pin g, incombination with the arm M and coupling-pin J, when arranged to operatein connection with a draw-head provided with a notch or groove, h, asdescribed.

3. The pivoted coupling-link P, in combination with the chainR and rodS, the latter being mounted on the draw-head and extended out beyond thesides of the cars, whereby the operator is enabled to adjust the linkwithout entering between the cars, and the link is permitted to retainits position while the drawhead is moving longitudinally. Y

HARDIN BALE.

Witnesses W. J. EsTLLL, EDWARD LANING.

